my favourite solo makers

Welcome to clipboard, a weekly newsletter about clothes, hospo and Tāmaki Makaurau, by me, Reilly Hodson. A big thanks and welcome to all of the new clipboard readers that have joined over the past week, here’s to heaps more! This week: my favourite one-person makers of jewellery, accessories, clothes and more!

local makers

clipboard is a support-local-at-all-costs kind of publication, and one of the coolest and most rewarding ways you can support local is by buying stuff from one-person makers, who have struck out on their own to make cool goods. It’s an awesome way to support independent creatives, help them (hopefully) take a step towards leaving their boring hospo or retail day jobs, and it’s extremely satisfying when you know exactly who is getting the money you spend on a new piece. In the post-Instagram era, it’s become easier than ever to find and support great makers of great things, and easier for them to turn their side hustle into a proper business. Importantly, it’s easier than ever for people who might not have the capital, generational or societal privilege that is required to start a “real” business to get started.

It’s something that has a special place in my heart, too, as someone who runs what could charitably be called a media brand on my own. These people make things which are beautiful or useful, and they also make money, which are the key differences between the below makers and clipboard (though my DMs are always open if you want to pay me for this product). My selfish hope is that this newsletter is the beginning of a bigger career, and I have confidence that these people’s side hustles will be the beginning of bigger things for them, too. All of these makers operate solo; designing, making, marketing and shipping out their own product, and they do a damn good job of it, I reckon. Give all or some of them your money, imo.

Pigment Studio

Albertine Lello’s Pigment Studio jewellery brand had the “it” earring of the season a few years back (these look familiar?), and although you might not see her newer stuff on every other earlobe you see on Karangahape Road, she’s upped her game in terms of form and fabrication in a big way. You could cover all your jewellery needs with Albertine’s work, like this lovely ring, or this bracelet with handmade chain links. Pigment Studio is a great moodboard-y Instagram follow, too.

Mate Vela Design

Mate Vela is an artisanal fashion designer who hand makes his garments when he’s not making delicious coffees (baristas with side hustles will always have my support!). At current, he’s selling these great “Guardian Angel” work jackets (at a very reasonable price, imo), as well as his signature quilted bubble tote bags, which are a great way of standing out from the classic canvas tote you probably own fifty of, while holding more than your fancy leather handbag. I’m hoping he does more of these lovely shirts.

Māori Mermaid

Jessica Thompson Carr (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine, Ngāpuhi) is a poet and artist who makes works that work towards decolonisation and examination of her Māori whakapapa. She has an interesting point of view as a Pākehā-presenting wahine Māori, and a distinctive visual style that will pair great with your house-plant-filled interiors.

Gab Stoddard

Gab Stoddard is a fine arts graduate who has a multi disciplinary practice spanning photography, screen printing and other craft. I first came across her work when I saw an acquaintance wearing one of her Spoon Fed tees and almost immediately bought one of my own. Now, she’s making and selling her brilliant T Totes which are the perfect bag for a book sized amount of stuff, or as a produce bag at the supermarket. Plus, they look really cool. They’re stocked at Everyday Needs, and she also has a limited number of bags in the Liquorice (pictured above) and Fennel colour ways that you can buy by getting in touch with her on Instagram. We have three, have used them constantly for the past few years and can’t speak highly enough of them.

Walk in the Park

Walk in the Park is the woodworking project of Woo-Lam (Sam) Choi. He makes beautiful turned wooden pieces from locally sourced timber, including pepper and salt mills, vases and incense holders. It’s beautifully crafted stuff that will make any house look that much nicer. There’s nothing on his online store at the moment, but if you stay tuned to his Instagram, you’ll be the first to find out about new drops.

Lucky Dip

Tuhirangi Blair might be New Zealand’s best menswear export, with experience at Nepenthes (of Needles and Engineered garments fame) under his belt. Back in New Zealand after a while away, he’s making shirts under his Lucky Dip label which feel as much like art as functional garments. Blair makes five different silhouettes of shirt out of deadstock and vintage fabrics he finds, and the outcomes are brilliant. You can even do a literal lucky dip order. An investment purchase, for sure, but one which is unique and will last forever.

Other clipboard faves

Abigail Brodrick, whose handbags got a shout out in this newsletter from friend of clipboard Natalie Guest, Harry Were, who shot Lorde’s forthcoming Antarctica photo book and also sells lovely vests, jewellery and lockdown bonnets, Alice Duncan-Gardiner, whose knitted mats are a personal grail, Thom Morison, who makes excellent grown up menswear here in New Zealand, and Klay, who makes excellent home goods including these brilliant cushions (some of these people outsource their production, but are otherwise essentially one-person operations).

clips

• My favourite pop artist Chelsea Jade has finally managed to get a spot in MIQ and she’ll be playing a tour, including two (2) shows in Auckland! Tickets drop tomorrow.

• Fancy wine and fresh pasta bar Pici is hiring for a kitchen porter, bartender and waiter. I’m going there this week, stay tuned for a maybe review next Sunday.

• My favourite fancy pizzeria, Umu, is for sale: if you have $325,000 to spend on a business which, at least on the numbers provided in this listing, is way underperforming its potential, please buy it and save my bougie pizza, and make some money for yourself, too.

• The excellent Song Exploder podcast’s latest episode is about Yusuf / Cat Stevens recording and then re recording ‘Father and Son,’ and it’s an absolute treat.

• Checks Downtown’s ongoing collaboration with artist Olivia Edgington has now led to a very sick beach towel. Great for this beach weather!

• Disney+’s new Marvel TV show WandaVision isn’t for everyone, but if a comic book TV show that parodies classic sitcom formats sounds like you, you’ll love it! A remarkable piece of work considering how little I cared for either character from the movies.

a reminder to not complain about coffee prices around me, especially if you’re a public figure

That’s all for clipboard this week! I hope you enjoyed it; if you did, it would be a very cool thing to do to send it to your coolest friends. I’ll be back here next Sunday with more goodness. In the meantime, you can follow clipboard and me on Instagram, and DM or email me whenever with suggestions, questions, or offers of work. See you Sunday!